Auckland fog: Domestic flights cancelled, delayed

Fog over downtown Auckland this morning. Supplied photo / Alex Gilbert

Fog restrictions at Auckland Airport have been lifted - but not before 50 flights were cancelled and dozens more delayed.

Auckland Airport confirmed about 50 domestic regional flights had been cancelled and 36 domestic regional flights delayed, due to the fog.

Fog restrictions were put in place at 4am lifted at 11.30am.

MetService meteorologist Tui McInnes said the fog was likely to clear mid or late morning. There was a band of fog stretching from Waikato to Northland, as far north as Kerikeri, this morning, he said.

One domestic flights to Christchurch was delayed but all other flights from Auckland to main centres - Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin and Queenstown - had not been affected by the fog.

International flights KE130, QF154, NZ783, NZ284, NZ296 and NZ937 were delayed departure due to fog.

Passengers can check the airport's website www.aucklandairport.co.nz or its app for the latest flight arrival and departure information.

According to Hamilton Airport's website only one departing flight this morning was cancelled.

It is Air New Zealand flight NZ5813, also identified as SQ4365, to Wellington at 8.05am.
An Air New Zealand flight from Wellington Hamilton, NZ 5810, scheduled to arrive at 7.40am was also cancelled.

McInnes said fog wasn't expected to return tomorrow, as rain was expected across the country instead.

Warnings were likely to be issued for some places later this morning, he said.

"Most of the country can expect rain at times tomorrow, but it could be heavy in places and gusty in places."

The South Island was in the weather event's sights, with the West Coast and Nelson likely to get the most rain.

"That's because it's coming from the west."

Strong winds were expected on the east coast of the South Island and north through Cook Strait to Wairarapa. But other areas could expect at least a brief blast of wind.

The rain would be shorter-lived in the North Island than in the South Island.

However, temperatures are not expected to dip too much from what had been a mild week, he said.

"They'll drop a little bit on Monday but nothing drastic."

Auckland is expecting a high of 22C tomorrow and 19C on Monday, Wellington 18C and then 16C and Christchurch 18C followed by 15C.